During these past summer months, college student Camilla Molina was able to secure a scholarship that allowed her to hike part of the Pacific Crest Trail through the non-profit organization Heirs to Our Oceans (H2OO).
Camilla Molina
Before the end of the second semester of the 2021-2022 school year at the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez Campus, Molina found herself looking for opportunities that had to do with her focus of study, biology. And thanks to the opportunities section of Conservation Opportunity (CO), she was able to do just that.
“Around May, I was a little bit reluctant to find an opportunity, but I kept checking and applied to all the ones I was interested in, until, at the end of the month, H2OO got back to me,” she said.
After getting the job, the college student headed to H2OO's headquarters in California. There, Molina took courses to prepare her to hike part of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.
“It was a very familiar and welcoming environment. I stayed there for approximately three to four days. The workshops they gave us were focused on what we were going to face on the trip, we received information on how to handle the wildlife, water and how to prepare the backpack. Fortunately, as it was a full scholarship, I didn't have to bring anything with me, my stay, clothes and food were all paid for,” he said.
From there, Molina, along with his group, headed to a remote town in northern California, Etna. That's where the journey begins.
“This trail is well known in the United States, and around the world, backpackers know it as the Pacific Crest Trail. And to hike it all the way, it takes about six months. It is one of the longest globally, running from Canada to Mexico. You will pass through deserts and temperate forests, where you may encounter snow. Since I did eight days with five miles on each of those days, I was only able to experience a short part of the entire trail,” he added.
Molina with her group of backpackers
The group traveled approximately 40 miles south Molina categorized their excursion as “intense and strenuous” but found herself extremely excited and proud to have succeeded in the challenge.
“I have to admit that this was extreme and that it was the most extreme I have done. Initially I was told that I would have to sleep under the stars with no booths, which didn't affect me much, as I had done it before, but when I got there and saw that resources were limited and everything had to be on rations, where did I get in? That was my first thought,” he said.
She included that within the hike, temperatures were low, like about 40 degrees Fahrenheit (four degrees Celsius). And that the backpacks were about 25-30 pounds or a quarter of the body weight of the person carrying it.
“Definitely, if I would be interested in backpacking next, I would prepare a little bit more mentally for what I will be doing. A clear itinerary of all the activities would be perfect. I recommend this opportunity to everyone, because you don't know if this is what you really like until you do it,” he concluded.
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